Senators Lieberman and Warner Craft Climate Legislation

Senators Lieberman and Warner Craft Climate Legislation

In August, Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and Senator John Warner (R-VA) announced their intention to write comprehensive climate legislation to reduce U.S. global warming emissions. While a handful of climate bills already have been introduced in the Senate in the 110th Congress, the Lieberman-Warner proposal is drawing attention because of its bipartisan approach.  The test of a good climate bill is not its prospects for passage, but whether it will deliver the emission reductions necessary to avoid the most devastating impacts of global warming. 

The best available science indicates that U.S. greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 15 to 20 percent below current levels by 2020 and at least 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 in order to avoid dangerous climate change. These are targets adopted in the Sanders-Boxer bill, S. 309, which PSR supports.

Unfortunately, a draft version of the Lieberman-Warner proposal indicates that the bill may fall short of meeting these science-based emission reduction targets, while also leaving emissions from key sectors of the economy uncapped. Senators Lieberman and Warner are in the process of revising their proposal. To adequately guard against dangerous warming, the Lieberman-Warner bill must be significantly strengthened. When the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee considers climate legislation later this fall, PSR will continue to call for a 15 to 20 percent reduction in emissions by 2020 and an 80 percent reduction by mid-century.